Lightning
by genieforyourworld
Summary: Lightning never strikes twice in the same place... but for them, love wasn't as fortunate. /SasuSaku/


_**...lightning...**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

* * *

_To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever._

_**-Henry Drummond**_

* * *

When he first returned, she avoided him like a mouse would avoid a trap. It was impossible to steer clear of his tall muscular frame, his unruly dark hair and cold onyx stare _(he's not looking at you). _There was always something drawing her back to him against her will.

More often or not it was Naruto's glowing face that called her over, pestering her to join them for ramen _again_. His happiness at the return of his best friend radiated across the Hidden Leaf Village for miles on end. And of course Naruto, being that stupid, crazy, loveable knuckleheaded twit that made everyone want to bet on him, was completely oblivious to they way she purposely _(struggled)_ to avoid their broken team.

Kakashi, like the aloof (good-hearted) fool he was, was at fault numerous times for her lapses and almost breakdowns _(tears of pain; happiness; what-ifs and what-could-of-been). _Desperately trying to bring his _hurt_ little _kids_ back together for good. It was getting ridiculous really.

"_The world still goes around Sakura."_

* * *

Even Tsunade was on _his _side.

Of course the Godaime wasn't exactly _sober. _But in her case, the elder woman's words meant everything.

"Stop moping and _grow up._"

She did that a long time ago. She was sure she did. She _did._ _She_ did. _She did._

Then he came back. He came _home._

* * *

She wanted to bring him home. _Naruto and her._ They _promised _each other. Together. Because they were a team. Friends. Family. Team 7 _(Once upon a time)_.

It wasn't supposed to be Naruto on his own. Again. _(With Shikamaru. With Hinata. With Kiba. With Ino. Without_ _her)._

She could not tell if it was guilt? Jealousy? It didn't matter anymore.

She just wanted to be free. Free from _him_. In fact, she just wanted to walk up to him and demand her heart back. But that would only make things worse because she would do something stupid. Something lovesick. Something _annoying_. She would fall all over again _(although she had _never_ let the _feelings_ disperse to begin with_). And mistakes were not something that grown up Sakura made.

* * *

Her parents obtained a daughter they could _(should)_ have been proud of when _he_ abandoned everything.

But they didn't/couldn't/wouldn't understand her anymore.

They weren't ninja. They could never know what it was like losing everything. Having your heartbroken. Watching everything you ever cared about being ripped apart from the inside out _(and being able to do nothing about it)._

"Shame about that Uchiha kid." _His_ name leaving her father's lips caused her to look up from her barely touched breakfast. The one time the man is home from work ("Business is blooming kiddo," he would say to her after being away for weeks) and he brings _him_ up. She watched him run a hand through the deep red hair that stuck up over the newspaper covering his face, and sensed her mother's searching gaze upon her only daughter. "I mean, a brat like him needs to be put in his place. If it was up to me, he would have been executed the moment he set foot back in the village. The Hokage's too soft. A lot of people aren't exactly happy about it either. Apparently she did it for the sake of his former team-ma..."

The older man was silenced as he put his newspaper down, confused to why his daughter spontaneously let her cutlery clatter to the floor and flee from the room, the house – slamming the front door as loud as she could without breaking it off with her monstrous strength.

...

...

...

"Teenagers these days."

His wife turned back to the kitchen counter, shaking her head.

* * *

She didn't go to the hospital that day. She didn't go to the Hokage's office in hope of a mission. She walked unusual routes around the village to avoid anywhere _he_ (dragged by Naruto) might be.

Instead, her feet subconsciously carried her slowly to that old decapitating bridge against her will.

It was still early in the morning. Not even _he_ came this early.

Sighing, she leaned against the old woodwork. It was rough against her bare arms and she could feel the scratched surface of the railing causing her lips to tug into a small smirk. _Naruto waz heer!_ It was followed by the faint from time scorch marks of a fire ball that narrowly missed its target. A small giggle came silently in pursuit of the memory.

The nostalgia hit her like a thunderstorm.

* * *

"I'm sure you said you have the early shift on a Thursday."

A shiver powered down her spine like lightening at the sound of _his_ voice. It was deeper _(smoother) _than that of the boy she knew so long ago. But instantly she became captivated once again and lost her own ability to speak.

After what seemed like an eternity passed her by, she turned to see _(for the first time in months)_ the man he had certainly _(physically at least) _become.

Her emerald eyes briefly met his captivating onyx orbs. She was silent for the moment, frowning as he lightly smirked, his back leaning against the same worn out rail less than half a meter away. Waiting for the others. _Not_ to provide her _company_.

The pressure was building up in her cheeks where the blood was suddenly rising as she slowly studied his appearance.

There was an awful ache in her chest, where her heart was thumping at an incredible speed against her skin – she was sure someone with his _skills_ and _talent_ could hear it.

The stupid smirk slightly increased as much as his pride would allow as he turned away from her narrowing eyes. She was still frozen for a few seconds, trying to push the thought of gawking at him into the locked up corner of her past, before following his now emotionless (causing her to inwardly sigh) stare out into the same familiar

_(boring)_ scenery.

"She gave me the day off." _Damn it!_ She didn't want to give into him. Not like she used to.

The _(everlasting)_ brief silence that followed was patronizing.

She sighed silently as she turned back to facing the way her body was – to forget about him and ease the kink in her neck.

"Good."

That alerted her attention and she lifted her head up, her expression somewhere between one of shock and questioning. He never met her eye.

"You overwork yourself."

He held no emotion in his voice. She lowered her gaze and slowly closed her eyes.

"It's for a good cause, helping others. Besides..."

Sakura felt Sasuke look down on her.

"…It takes my mind off things."

"Off me."

Silence was his answer.

"Sakura," he spoke, barely above a whisper. Yet still it remained deep but almost soft, with the smallest tint of concern embedding its ways into her confused mind.

She could already feel the burning in the corner of her eyes. That horrible sensation that caused so much pain _(was the cause of so much pain)_. It drove her crazy. It made her go insane - because grown up Sakura did not _cry._

Especially not in front of _him_. Not anymore.

The droplets were hot, scolding her cold cheek.

The static electricity sent her nerves into overdrive at the feeling of his touch. She was positive he was running the Chidori through her. He had to be. It was the only explanation she could come up with in that brilliant head of hers. Sasuke Uchiha did not put his cold withdrawn hand on anyone to wipe away their tears – much less those of an annoying silly _weak_ girl like her. But he _did_.

And it felt so _right_.

His blood ridden hands were cold, but against her porcelain skin there was no comparison to the warmth he radiated onto her. However, that was only half of it. _He_, his touch, was _indescribable_.

To her, there was nothing else in the world.

Only Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Just them.

And it was _perfect._

She was desperate to reach up and touch him. To see if he would react in a similar way. If she was as intoxicating to him as he was to her _(like he always had been). _If he didn't feel the sparks of friendship, but the lightning bolts of adrenalin accompanied by the fissure of emotions – the effect he always had upon her. She wanted to pull his strings because she was sick of him controlling hers.

"Sasuke-kun..."she trailed, speechless as her eyelids fluttered open revealing his captivating dark eyes to her, her fingers trembling as she willed them to move up to his perfect features.

His lips barely parted in an attempt to reply, but his voice was lost as a deafening cry of distress came from behind the tall _not-yet-a-man._

"SASUKE-TEME! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DITCHING ME! THE FUTURE HOKAGE! I KEPT YOUR SORRY ASS ALIVE! YOU SHOULD BE BOWING DOWN AND KISSING MY FEET NOT _TRYING_ TO FLIRT WITH SAKURA-CHAN...oh..._oh..."_

She managed to suppress a giggle as Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me? I'm supposed to be your best friend! I would have helped you act with a bit more class, you pervert! Stop touching her!"

Sakura swore she heard the last Uchiha growl with murderous intent as he slowly retracted his hand.

"We'll finish this later," he said emotionlessly. It annoyed her slightly, but hey, it was _him_, what could she do? It would take time to heal the wounds and maybe _(because she never let go to begin with)_ she fall in love with him all over again.

* * *

**Edited 10/8/09 because some things were annoying me. Also I decided to take it down as a collection of separate stories and just leave it as a stand alone one-shot.**

_**Review please. All comments greatly appreciated.**_


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